The present disclosure relates to a driving device including a drive source, and an input-side joint member to be driven to rotate by the drive source, the driving device configured to drive a driven body to rotate by connecting the input-side joint member to an output-side joint member fixed to the driven body.
As a typical driving device of this type, for example, a driving device that drives a photosensitive drum of an image forming apparatus to rotate is known.
The above driving device includes an input-side joint member provided in the body of the image forming apparatus. The input-side joint member is externally fitted to a cylindrical portion formed in a center portion of a drum drive gear, in a slidable and integrally-rotatable manner. The drum drive gear is connected to a motor such that power transmission is allowed. Between the drum drive gear and the input-side joint member, a compression spring is interposed. The input-side joint member is urged toward the photosensitive drum side by the compression spring.
On the other hand, the photosensitive drum being a driven body has an output-side joint member connected thereto in an integrally-rotatable manner. The photosensitive drum is rotatably supported by a drum unit including a developing device, a transfer device, and the like. The drum unit is detachably mounted to a predetermined portion of the body of the image forming apparatus. When the drum unit is mounted to this predetermined portion, an engagement protrusion formed in the output-side joint member engages with a recess formed in the input-side joint member, whereby both joint members are connected to each other.